Oct 27, 2024
Belgium may be a small country, but once again, it showed the
world the strength of its endurance athletes. Merijn Geerts, Ivo
Steyaert, and Frank Gielen decided to stop together after 110
yards, sharing a new world record and leading Team Belgium to a
resounding victory in the 2024 Backyard Ultra Team World
Championships.
Daniel Westergren spoke with them 35 hours after they finished.
Together, they discuss the power of teamwork, the secrets behind
Belgium's success, future plans, and much more.
Photo: Caroline Dupont
00:00 Introduction to the Belgian Backyard Ultra Champions
02:11 Post-Race Reflections and Recovery
03:51 Frank Gielen Joins the Team
05:52 Secrets to Belgian Success
09:46 Team Dynamics and Training
20:28 The Importance of Crew Support
22:23 Breaking World Records and Team Achievements
28:09 Pushing Beyond Limits: The Final Hours
30:18 Running Together vs. Running Alone
30:39 Adapting to Different Running Partners
31:14 The Final Hours and Team Dynamics
33:14 Deciding to Stop at 110 Laps
34:55 Reflecting on the Team's Decision
36:54 Celebrating the Victory
39:20 Anecdotes from the Race
41:36 The Appeal of Multi-Day Races
43:40 Lessons Learned from Ultra Running
46:48 Comparing Backyard Ultra to Six-Day Races
52:27 Future of Backyard Ultra Records
58:12 Pressure to Perform at Big's Backyard Ultra
59:42 Concluding Thoughts and Inspirations